adjaye associates to add 900 units of affordable housing in brooklyn

adjaye associates and harlem-based studio zewde unveil the winning proposal to transform an underused portion of brooklyn’s kingsboro psychiatric center campus. the project was revealed by new york governor andrew cuomo and will see the redevelopment of 7.2 acres in east flatbush — including 900 affordable homes, a large swath of public green space, a full-sized basketball court, areas for urban farming, a greenhouse, and dedicated space for community empowerment programs. hosted by the state’s ‘vital brooklyn initiative,’ the plan will designate a $400 million targeted investment in eight integrated areas, including health care and housing, establishing a new standard for addressing chronic economic and racial disparities in brooklyn’s high-need communities.

images courtesy of vital brooklyn initiative

designed by adjaye associates and harlem’s studio zewde, the campus is described by governor cuomo as a ‘modern, mixed-use, wellness-oriented development.’ the campus will stand as part of the larger $1.4 billion vital brooklyn initiative, which notes that ‘central brooklyn is one of the most vulnerable areas in all of new york state, with measurably higher rates of obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure; limited access to healthy foods or opportunities for physical activity; high rates of violence and crime; wide economic disparities due to unemployment and high poverty levels; and inadequate access to high quality health care and mental health services.’

with beautifully designed affordable housing, open spaces for recreation, community-based healthcare, and education and economic empowerment programs — adjaye associates and new york city will combine architecture and policy to empower brooklyn.

adjaye associates and studio zewde will introduce approximately 900 housing units to brooklyn’s east flatbush neighborhood. the campus will be made up of affordable and supportive housing, senior housing, and opportunities for homeownership. what’s more, the project will see two state-of-the-art homeless shelters to replace the existing and aging shelters originally built in the 1930s. the development will create 3,700 constructions jobs and more than 200 permanent jobs for area residents. amenities include free high-speed wi-fi, exercise rooms, a 10,000-square-foot grocery store, a 7,000-square-foot community hub with computers and classroom space for after-school programs and workforce development training, performance space, and community empowerment programs.

many new yorkers have seen their lives transformed by the pandemic, and the city is taking action and addressing the growing need for affordable housing. governor cuomo comments: ‘the COVID-19 pandemic further exposed the inequalities among the state’s at-risk and in-need communities, including a fundamental need for safe and affordable housing. through the vital brooklyn initiative, we are better addressing these needs by transforming underutilized land on the kingsboro psychiatric center campus into a community-oriented development that provides housing and programming to better serve those in-need, building new york back better, fairer and stronger for all.’

project info:

project title: kingsboro

architecture: adjaye associates, studio zewde

location: kingsboro psychiatric center, east flatbush, brooklyn

client: vital brooklyn initiative, new york state

led by: almat urban, breaking ground, brooklyn community services, the center for urban community services, douglaston development, jobe development, and the velez organization